A Tied match was possibly the best result that one could have hoped for in a thrilling India and West Indies encounter at Vizag on Wednesday (24th Oct 2018). The match was a roller coaster ride that came to an exciting climax.
With 14 runs to win off the last over, MS Dhoni chalked up a plan for Umesh Yadav to bowl to throughout. Yadav nailed the yorkers to both Hope and Nurse, despite going for a leg-bye four. He got Nurse by reverse-scooping a full toss to third man.
Hope missed a full toss and could only manage two runs with 7 needed off 2 balls. For the last ball, India decided to bring the third man in and push point out to deep backward point. A sweeper cover was already out, as was long-off. It was a field set up for the full wide ball, and Kuldeep Yadav said at the post-match press conference that this had been Dhoni's idea.
"I'm too young to know," Kuldeep said when asked if he knew why a new plan was implemented. "I've played only 30 games and Mahi bhai has played 300 games. He's got more experience than me. It happens. He's more experienced than us. At that time he thought it and he did it."
However, as plans are made, plans are bound to fail as well. Umesh bowled a half volley outside the off stump and Hope carved a full, wide ball to the right of that freshly placed fielder at that deep backward point spot.
“I must say that I hoped he would bowl to the field," Hope said. "I knew a wide yorker was coming. I got enough bat on it to be able to get it to the boundary. I was trying to get more bat on it so it would go for a six and we would win. It didn't happen on the day. But one positive is we didn't lose the game."
India had been clinical, conceding only 13 in three overs before the final over. And in the final over, a misjudgment of plans caused India to be happy with a tied game that they should have won.
(Inputs: ESPNCricinfo)
